Cordyline plant named ‘Coral’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Cordyline  cultivar named ‘Coral’ is disclosed, characterized by unique, variegated foliage of red, pink and purple, intensifying with age and higher light. Other characteristics are long, narrowly elliptic leaves, a strong root system and dense crown. ‘Coral’ also exhibits a tendency to remain vegetative and resist flowering.

Latin name of the genus and species: Cordyline australis.

Variety denomination: ‘CORAL’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program. The newvariety originated from a cross pollination of the seed parent Cordylineaustralis ‘Albertii,’ an unpatented cultivar and the pollen parentCordyline australis ‘Purple Tower,’ also unpatented, made by theinventor during December 1995.

It was discovered by the inventor, Arthur George Rendle, a citizen ofNew Zealand, in Spring of 1996 New Plymouth, New Zealand.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘Paradise’ was first performedin Auckland, New Zealand, in a commercial greenhouse by vegetative rootcuttings. Subsequently ‘Paradise’ has been reproduced bymicro-propagation and has shown that the unique features of thiscultivar are stable and reproduced true to type through 12 generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘Coral’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, and especially lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Coral’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Coral’ as a new and distinct Cordylinecultivar:

-   -   1. Unique variegated foliage of red, pink and purple,        intensifying with age and higher light.    -   2. Long, narrowly elliptic leaves.    -   3. Strong root system.    -   4. Dense crown.    -   5. Tendency to remain vegetative and resist flowering.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Coral’ are similar to plants of the seedparent; Cordyline australis ‘Albertii’, in most horticulturalcharacteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘Coral’ havered/purple/pink foliage while the seed parent ‘Albertii’ has green andyellow variegated foliage.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Coral’ are similar to plants of the pollenparent; Cordyline australis ‘Purple Tower’, in most horticulturalcharacteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘Coral’ havestronger foliage variegation and a lighter overall foliage color.Additionally, the new variety as wider leaves.

The most similar commercial Cordyline australis varieties available tocompare to ‘Coral’ are the parent varieties.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color atypical plant of ‘Coral’ grown in a greenhouse. The age of the plant is1 year. The photograph was taken using conventional techniques andalthough colors may appear different from actual colors due to lightreflectance it is as accurate as possible by conventional photographictechniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘Coral’ plants grown outdoors in grown in agreenhouse in Las Pallas, Murcia, Spain during the Winter of 2006through Spring of 2007. Temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 12° C. atnight to 5° C. to 20° C. during the day. Measurements and numericalvalues represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Cordyline australis cultivar ‘Coral.’

PROPAGATION

-   Time to rooting: 10 to 14 days at approximately 15° C. soil    temperature, 22° C. air temperature.-   Root description: Fine, fibrous.

PLANT

-   Growth habit: Upright perennial.-   Height: Approximately 100 cm.-   Blooming period: Not observed in commercial applications.-   Plant Spread: Approximately 30 cm.-   Growth Rate: Moderate-   Branching Characteristics: Upright non-branching.    -   -   Diameter of Stem.—Approximately 2.5 cm.        -   Stem length, measured as leafless section.—Approximately 10            cm on a 1 year old plant. As the plant ages, lower leaves            fall off, exposing a longer section of stem.        -   Color of stem.—Near RHS: Greyed-Orange 166B.        -   Age of plant described.—Approximately 1 year.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Arrangement.—Whorled.        -   Average length.—Approximately 70 cm.        -   Average width.—Approximately 1.5 cm at narrowest,            approximately 3 cm at widest.        -   Shape of blade.—Very narrowly elliptic.        -   Apex.—Sharply Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture of top surface.—Glaborous.        -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glaborous.        -   Leaf internode length.—2 mm.        -   Color.—Mature foliage upper side. Near RHS Purple 77A, with            margins and stripes near RHS Red 47A. Mature foliage under            side: Near RHS Purple 77A, with margins and stripes near RHS            Red 47A.        -   Venation.—Type: Linear Venation coloration: Not visible due            to variegation in foliage.-   Petiole: Not present

FLOWER

Flowering has not been observed, and is not commercially important inthis cultivar.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease/resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to    diseases or pests has been observed in this variety.-   Drought tolerance and cold tolerance: Hardy to −5° C. Tolerates    temperatures above 40° C. Excellent drought tolerance. In a garden    setting, ‘Coral’ can tolerate a minimum of 3 to 4 weeks without    water undamaged.-   Fruit/Seed production: Not observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Cordyline plant named ‘Coral’ asherein illustrated and described.